Secondary Care (Admission / Hospitalisation)
Secondary care is required when someone has a serious medical problem that requires treatment or surgery in a hospital. This could be due to a medical emergency or trauma like a car or workplace accident, or a primary care clinic may refer you for secondary care if the clinic is unable to treat you. If you have a serious injury or illness, you should seek immediate medical attention at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of the nearest government hospital.
At government hospitals, UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum-seekers are required to pay a registration fee of MYR 50. Refugees and asylum-seekers who need to be admitted staying in the hospital for in-patient treatment often have to pay a deposit ranging between MYR 700-1,400. Depending on how serious your condition is, the fees for treatment received in hospital may be higher than the deposit. UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum-seekers are charged 50% of the foreigners’ fee, but individuals without UNHCR documents are charged the full foreigners’ fee.
Please note that these are estimates and may not be the final amount charged by government hospitals.
For high-risk and complicated pregnancies, it is very important to receive timely care as advised by healthcare providers.
UNHCR Support for Secondary Care (Hospital investigations and Admissions)
The cost of secondary care can be very expensive for refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR and our partners have some limited funds to support secondary care for refugees and asylum-seekers with the most urgent and life-threatening medical conditions. If you require support to pay for your admission to hospitals or scans and diagnostic investigations, you can make a request directly to UNHCR’s partner – Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA).
Please note that this support is not provided as cash assistance, but rather in the form of a guarantee letter issued directly to the hospitals.
Please contact MRA directly via the following hotlines or email address with supporting documents related to your medical condition.
This hotline is strictly meant for healthcare providers/NGO partners/refugees and asylum-seekers to enquire and request for medical assistance only. Please DO NOT contact this hotline to request for registration or resettlement.
Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA)
Call or WhatsApp:
+6017 450 9163 / +6017 425 6399 / +6017 –641 1635
Due to limited funds, only a small number of requests will be approved. Approvals are decided jointly by a Health Referral Committee made up of medical and non-medical representatives from UNHCR and 3 NGOs. As the assessments and approval processes may take time, referrals/requests are to be made in a timely manner and not on day of discharge from the hospital.
Note: MRA is not able to support any case requiring dialysis for kidney failure. Access to heart surgeries, angioplasty, and cancer treatment will also be dependent on the availability of funds.